USA > Louisiana > The province and the states, a history of the province of Louisiana under France and Spain, and of the territories and states of the United States formed therefrom, Vol. I > Part 41
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Bluffs, on July 12 at Laramie fork on the Platte, and on July 20 caught their first glimpse of the blue mountains in the distance. They continued, and soon were beyond the present boundaries of the Louisiana Purchase.
Having gone on to the Pacific, they returned and in July, 1833, were again in the mountains of what is now Colorado. This party was so large and so well armed and equipped, that they had little or nothing to fear from the Indians. On their return they found many trappers, free and in the employ of the companies, in the valley of Green river, which at that time was the most noted rendezvous for these hardy and resolute men any where in the West. While here, Bonneville determined to go with a portion of the party to Great Salt Lake. He started in July with twenty- four men, and did not return until the spring of 1835. By this time his party had collected a large supply of skins, and it was determined to return to the States. Accordingly, they advanced down the valley of the Platte, and in August again stood at Fort Osage. Captain Bonneville had gone on this expedition without leave from the War Department, and during his absence had been dropped from the army rolls. He was finally restored to his for- mer rank. This was a private expedition, and many of the inci- dents were never recorded.
A squadron of dragoons, consisting of thirty-seven men under Captain Ford, forty men under Captain Duncan, and forty men under Captain Lupton, all commanded by Col. Henry Dodge, was sent to the Rocky mountains in 1835 to hold councils with the Indian tribes and to look after the interests of the United States on the (then) Mexican border. A large supply train of wagons was taken along, and in addition two swivels with which to impress the savages. Captain Gantt was guide to the expedition. They left Fort Leavenworth May 29, 1835, accompanied by Major Dougherty, Indian agent to the Pawnees, and marched up the valley of the Missouri, reaching the mouth of the Platte river of Nebraska on the 9th of June. ' Near this place was held on the IIth a council with the Otoes, of whom Ju-tan, or I-e-tan was head chief. Here, also, the Omahas were brought by messengers, and a council was held with them on the 17th, Big Elk being the principal chief present. At all the councils presents were dis- tributed. The expedition then marched up the Platte to the Pawnee villages about eighty miles distant, where another coun- cil was held the 23d, Angry Man being principal chief of the Grand Pawnces, Axe of the Pawnee Loups, Little Chief of the Pawnee Tappeiges and Mole on the Face of the Republican Pawnees.
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Departing on the 24th, the expedition reached the lower extremity of Grand Island the following day. When well up the Platte a council was held on July 5th with the Arickarees, the chiefs present being Bloody Hand, Two Bulls and Star or Big Head. This council was held near the falls of the Platte. At this time, immense herds of buffalo surrounded the expedition. On the 15th the Rocky mountains were seen for the first time by the expedition. They were now well up the South Fork. On the 18th they passed the mouth of Cache de la Poudre river, and on the 24th reached the point where the Platte emerges from the mountains. After this date the expedition marched south- east, and on July 26, arrived at the divide between the Platte and the Arkansas. Passing down Boiling Springs creek and the Arkansas, they reached Bent's fort on the 6th of August. Near this noted place, councils were held with the Arapahoes, Chey- ennes, Blackfeet, Gros Venres and others. Leaving on the 12th of August, they moved down the Arkansas, holding councils with the Comanches, Kiowas and others, arriving on the 24th at Chouteau's Island. Soon afterward they left the valley of the Arkansas and marched northeast to Fort Leavenworth, where they arrived on the 16th of September, having fully accomplished the object of the journey-to quiet the Indian tribes and ascertain what they were doing and were likely to do in the future.
In 1835-6 an expedition under the command of W. B. Guion, J. D. Webster and others were sent by the government to survey the St. Francis, White and Black rivers in Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana. Their duties were satisfactorily performed.
The explorations of I. N. Nicollet from 1838 to 1841 were of great value to all subsequent explorers, owing to the thorough- ness with which he reported the topographical features of the territory traversed. Lieut. John C. Fremont was one of his assistants, and Louis Freniere one of his guides. The map lie made of the Upper Mississippi country, particularly of what is now Minnesota, was so elaborate and so singularly correct, that all subsequent explorers have, in a large measure, been guided by it. During this period, Fremont explored the Des Moines river for him. He had several other assistants, all of whom per- formed important special duties. The Upper Mississippi, the Missouri well into the Dakotas, the Minnesota, the Des Moines, the Arkansas, the Red, both of the North and of Natchitoches, and many of their smaller branches were examined. His map of the hydrographical basin of the Upper Mississippi is consulted to this day. He likewise reported on the fauna, the flora, the
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kind of soil, the minerals, the timber supply, the Indians, and other features.
'The outposts of the government in 1844 were Fort Jessup on the Red river of Louisiana; Forts Towson and Washita on Red river above Fort Jessup; Forts Smith and Gibson on the navi- gable waters of Arkansas river; Fort Scott on the southwest frontier of Missouri; Fort Leavenworth on the Missouri; Fort Snelling on the Mississippi, and Fort Wilkins on Lake Superior.
The upper Des Moines river was thoroughly explored in 1814 by an expedition under the command of Capt. J. Allen, of the First Regiment of Dragoons. With fifty, rank and file, of that command, two privates of infantry and a train of wagons loaded with supplies and provisions, the expedition started from Fort Des Moines on the IIth of August, passing first along the "Ore- gon Trail;" then crossing Beaver river and reaching the Dela- ware battle-ground, where, three years before, a band of twenty Delawares liad been slaughtered by a large war party of Sioux. This event occurred in a deep ravine near the Des Moines river about five miles below the well-known "Iron Banks." The mouthi of the West Fork was passed on August 19th. Great trouble was experienced in hauling the wagons through the sloughs, where they often stuck in the black mud. As they neared the northern border of the present Iowa, many small lakes were found, all cov- ered with innumerable water fowl. When in southern Minne- sota, the expedition was left at a suitable camp, and Captain Allen, with twenty-five men, started to discover the remote sources of the Des Moines river and of the Blue Earth river of Minnesota. On the 4th of September, they reached the St. Peter's river; and, having passed down the same for several miles, ascended the Blue Earth basin, examining the sources of that stream, finally marching westward to their camp. The source of the West Fork of the Des Moines was found to be a small lake which was named "Lake of the Oaks." Leaving this lake, the expedition took a westerly course, and on the 13th of September arrived at the falls of the Big Sioux river. Previous to their reaching the headwaters of the Des Moines, not an Indian nor a buffalo was seen. Even the small bands of Sioux seen after that time seemed afraid of the expedition and soon disappeared after being encountered. Elks were killed almost every day. "Twenty-five miles west of the source of the Des Moines river we struck the range of the buffalo and continued in it to the Big Sioux and down that river about eighty-six miles. Below that we could not see any recent sign of them. We found antelope
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in the same range with the buffalo, but no elk, and very seldom a common deer. While among the buffalo, we killed as many as we wanted, and without trouble." A side detachment descended to the mouth of the Big Sioux, after which the expedition marched almost on a bee line across the streams to Fort Des Moines, where it arrived on the 3d of October.
The explorations of John C. Fremont, under an act of con- gress, were of much importance in placing before the people a faithful description of the plains and the Rocky mountain region. His first was made in 1842, with only twenty-one men. He marched up the Platte valley, but upon reaching the forks, the main party was sent up the North Fork, while a few men under Fremont passed up the South Fork to St. Vrain's fort. From here they marched northward to the North Fork and joined the main fork at Fort Laramie. Although the Indians were on the war-path farther up the river, Fremont determined to proceed. They continued to advance without serious interruption, arrived at the Sweetwater river, marched through South Pass, and a lit- tle later ascended the highest peak of the Wind River mountains. The return journey down the Platte was made without notable incident.
His second exploration was made in 1843 with about forty men. They marched up the Republican fork of Kansas river, and fin- ally divided, the main detachment moving by easy stages to St. Vrain's Fort on the Platte. Fremont with a party of fifteen made many detours in order the better to explore the plains. Upon reaching St. Vrain's Fort, they concluded to remain a con- siderable length of time in order to explore. the surrounding country. Boiling Spring river was traversed, and the pueblo at or near its mouth was visited. From Fort St. Vrain, the main party marched straight to Fort Laramie, while the party under Fremont passed farther to the west, skirting the mountain, and carefully examining the country. The two detachments rejoined on the Sweetwater river, and, having marched through South Pass, continued on to Fort Bridger, and moved west down the Bear river valley. Having marched to California and passed a considerable distance down the coast, they finally returned, reach- ing Colorado at Brown's Hole. While in Colorado, they explored the wonderful natural parks there. On their return they passed down the Arkansas, visiting the "pueblo" and Bent's Fort. They reached the Missouri river in August, 1844, after an absence of fourteen months.
The third expedition under Fremont comprised nearly one
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hundred men. Many of his old companions joined him, among whom were Carson, Godey, Owens and several experienced Dela- ware Indians. With him also was his favorite, Basil Lajeunesse, and Lieutenants Abert and Peck. He had a larger force than before, and felt equal to any emergency likely to arise. The plains were crossed without noteworthy incident, except a scare from the Cheyennes, and on the 2d of August Bent's Fort was reached. While here the detachment under Lieutenant Abert was sent to survey the country to the southward, as narrated else- where. On the 16th of August, the expedition proper, consist- ing of about sixty men, mostly picked for their known qualities of courage, hardihood, and faithfulness, left Bent's Fort and started on their journey. On the 20th they encamped at the mouth of Boiling Springs river, and on the 26th at the mouth of the great canon of the Arkansas river. On the night of Sep- tember 2d, they reached the remote headwaters of the Arkansas, where to their surprise they found a small herd of fat buffalo, that had discovered a small, rich valley and were living in con- tentment. They furnished the last buffalo roasts enjoyed by the party for a long time. Two days later Fremont passed across the divide into the valley of the Grand, and camped on Piney river, where a goodly supply of fish was caught. The marvel- ous beauty of the surroundings were specially noted by the scientists accompanying the party. Continuing westward with- out noteworthy incident, the party reached Great Salt Lake carly in October. After great hardships Sutter's Fort in California was reached in December. The following year Fremont assisted the Californians in gaining their independence.
In the autumn of 1845 Lieut. J. W. Abert was detached with twenty-eight men, four wagons, seven horses and fifty-six mules from the Fremont expedition for the purpose of surveying Purga- tory, False Washita and the Upper Canadian rivers. The fam- ous mountaineer, Thomas Fitzpatrick, was his guide. The objects of this side expedition were fully accomplished.
The Army of the West under the command of Gen. S. W. Kearney wa ssent by the government in 1846 to operate against New Mexico and California. The war with Mexico was raging, and the conquest of the upper provinces "was a consummation devoutly to be wished." The rendezvous of the army took place at Fort Leavenworth in June of that year. The army was divided into detachments, which were dispatched at different times across the plains. It consisted of two battalions of artillery under Major Clark, three squadrons of the First Dragoons under Major
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Sumner, the First Regiment of Missouri Cavalry under Colonel Doniphan, and two companies of infantry under Captain Agney. Although the army crossed the plains in detachments, it again rendezvoused at a camp nine miles below Fort Bent on the Arkan- sas before advancing to strike Santa Fe. With the army were sent trains of wagons drawn by oxen and mules and loaded with commissary stores. About the Ist of August, the army advanced in a southerly direction from near Fort Bent, mainly up the val- ley of Purgatory river ; thence across the upper branches of the Canadian river ; thence southwest to the Pecos river, and thence to Santa Fe. At Bent's fort the army was joined by William Bent, who was placed in charge of a company of scouts or spies. The trail to Santa Fe was lined with dead and dying oxen and mules and broken and abandoned wagons. Several detachments of the army returned over the same route in January and Febru- ary, 1847, and had narrow escapes from death both by freezing and starvation. They met several expeditions of settlers going to the western country.
As the army proceeded in sections across the plains, several detachiments were sent out from the main body to explore branches of the Arkansas and the Red. Col. W. HI. Emory com- manded one of the detachments, which marched from Fort Leav- enworth to San Diego, California, collecting an immense amount of valuable information concerning the route over which he passed. Another detachment under Lieutenant Abert likewise niade important discoveries.
It was in 1847 that the Mormons crossed the plains in search of a home where they could live in peace. The advance column, consisting of one hundred and forty-three men, seventy-two wagons, one hundred and seventy-five horses, many mules and oxen, seeds and agricultural implements, and rations for six months, left the Missouri river in September. They marched up the valley of the Platte, ascending the North Fork, but crossing at Fort Laramie. They moved through South Pass, and in July, 1848, reached Salt Lake valley. A week or more later, the main body arrived under the guidance of Brigham Young.
In 1849, Capt. R. B. Marcy conducted a surveying expedition from Fort Smith to Santa Fe. "The expedition had in view the escorting of a number of California emigrants, and at the same time the exploration, survey and construction of a wagon road from that post to Santa Fe by way of the south side of the Canadian river." The escort consisted of twenty-five men of the First Dragoons under Lieut. John Buford, fifty men of the Fifth
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Infantry under Lieutenants Montgomery, Harrison and Upde- graff, nineteen six-mules wagons, and one six-pound howitzer. The guide was Black Beaver, a Delaware Indian. Lieut. J. H. Simpson accompanied the expedition. A large number of emi- grants of the Fort Smith Company under John Dillard was pro- tected by this escort. The expedition struck across the country to the Shawnee Hills, after which it marched much of the time in the valley of the Canadian. They passed Sans Bois creek, Rocky Hills, Edwards' Old Fort, Delaware Mount, Cross Tim- bers and Old Fort Holmes, near which had stood Chouteau's old trading-house. On May 23d they were near Natural Mound. Their forty-first encampment was at Antelope Hills. They encountered many Indians, and it would have fared hard with the emigrants had it not been for the presence of the troops. Is-sa- kiep, head chief of the Comanches, held a letter of recommenda- tion from Thomas Fitzpatrick, the famous western guide, at this time Government Indian agent for the upper Platte and Arkansas rivers. On June 22d, they saw in the distance the snow-covered peaks of the Rockies. When well up the Canadian, they marched southwest to the river Pecos, thence northwest to the vicinity of Santa Fe. The road thus surveyed was afterward exten- sively traveled.
In 1849, Capt. L. Sitgreaves was sent with an escort of thirty men, three ox-wagons, one spring wagon for the instrument and five spare horses, to survey and mark the north and west bound- aries of the Creek reservation. His party was partly completed at Cincinnati, but mainly at Fort Gibson, where a large party of emigrants waited for the escort of this force. All started July 21st, and from the start encountered much opposition from the Indians ; but nevertheless Lieutenant Sitgreaves continued to run the lines as ordered. The emigrants were taken far enough to the west to enable them to reach Santa Fe in safety.
On the 31st of May, 1849, a party consisting of eighteen men, five wagons and forty-six horses and mules, under the command . of Capt. Howard Stansbury, of the topographical engineers of the United States army, left Fort Leavenworth to cross the plains for the purpose of exploring the valley of Great Salt Lake. On the 7th of June, they met Mr. Brulet, of the Missouri Fur Company, on his way from Fort Laramie to St. Louis with a large train of wagons loaded with buffalo hides. He stated that he had been forty days thus far on the trip, and during that time had met fully four thousand wagons, averaging four persons to the wagon going to the west for homes or to search for gold. Ile said that good
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wagons could be bought a little farther ahead for from ten dollars to fifteen dollars each, and that salt provisions could be had for nothing. On June 9th the graves of six dead emigrants were passed; and on the ioth three of the party's best horses were stolen by a band of Pawnees in the night and were never recov- ered. This band had evidently watched the train for several days. On the same day there passed them a trading expedition under Bissonet and Badeau from the villages of the Sioux with a goodly supply of furs. On June II they passed an emigrant party of seventy or eighty persons bound for California. Immense num- bers'of killdeer began to be seen, and terrible rain-storms swept across the plains, blowing down every tent, overturning wagons, and playing havoc generally, amid a terrific play of electricity. More Indians began to be seen and accordingly, the cattle and horses at night were "corralled" and guarded. On June 18, a government train crossed their trail, having thirty-one heavy wagons, four hundred oxen and forty men, on their way to estab- lish a new post near Fort Hall within the Rockies. About June 18 they reached the Platte near Grand Island and the next day camped within two miles of Fort Kearney, where they found Colonel Bonneville in command.
Here they remained until the 21st recuperating. On June 27, when over one hundred miles west of Fort Kearney, they killed, their first buffalo four or five miles from the trail. On the same day a small herd was seen in the distance. Early the next day three cow buffaloes were killed; and later on this day the first stop was made that all the expedition might enjoy a buffalo hunt : Result, four killed and one wounded. Previous to this, Indian wigwams or lodges had been occasionally seen, which upon being examined were found to contain the dead bodies of Indians raised on poles beyond the reach of wolves. On one occasion the body of a beautiful Indian girl was thus found. It was soon learned that they had died of cholera. On July 2 they were at an esti- mated distance of one hundred and eighty miles west of Fort Kearney. On the 5th they reached a Sioux encampment of ten lodges, where nearly all were sick with cholera. Here they niet Badeau, one of the trappers of the Missouri Fur Company, who had married an Indian girl, and was regarded very highly by the tribe. A few miles farther up was a larger village of the same tribe consisting of about two hundred and fifty persons. On July 12 they reached Fort Laramie, now a government post, where were stationed' two companies of infantry and one of mounted riflemen under the command of Major Sanderson. Here they bought many fresh mules to replace their broken-down ones.
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The march was resumed on the 18th, and a few days later they added to their train a cow which had been abandoned by some emigrant. As they continued, they began to see abandoned wagons and dead oxen on every mile of the route; and finally the trail was literally strewn with agricultural implements, household articles, furniture, clothing, carpenter's tools, salt meat, stoves, etc., at times almost in heaps. On July 17 they passed seventeen abandoned or broken-down wagons and twenty-seven dead oxen. As they passed the land of alkali and sage-brush, the wrecks became more frequent and melancholy. On July 28 they encoun- tered thirty-one dead oxen, and on August Ist passed about a dozen burnt wagons and nineteen dead oxen. At one alkali pool, ten oxen were found dead in a heap. They were now at "Inde- pendence Rock" on the Sweetwater ; and here the wrecks became less frequent. The alkali plains along the North Fork and at the crossing of the Sweetwater, had been found literally a charnel house of animals. On August 3, they met Captain Duncan of Fort Laramie, who had been out after five deserters, and had capt- ured them within fifty miles of Fort Bridger. Many sage-hens were now brought into camp., On August 5, the mail from Salt Lake City to the East passed by with about six thousand letters. On August 6th, they entered South Pass, and having gone through the same, encamped at Pacific Springs on Little Sandy Creek. Here they found a grave, well rounded up, with head- board and name thereon ; but some time afterward learned that it contained a large supply of whisky, which had been placed there for safe-keeping. The sagacity of the emigrant or trader met its reward, for the grave was not molested, and the whisky was there when he returned for it. On August 9 Green river was reached, and on the HIth they arrived at Fort Bridger, where they again rested and recuperated. Here they met the famous "Jim Bridger," who had been in the mountain country for more than thirty years, and who had the unbounded respect of every passer-by. On August 20 they resumed their march. While on Bear river, they caught many fine trout. In due time they safely reached the famous Salt Lake valley, their objective point.
They remained west of the mountains for the space of thirteen months, surveying the valley and making a number of important excursions ; after which they started on their return trip, reaching Fort Bridger September 5, 1850, where they met both Bridger and his partner, Vasquez. North of Fort Bridger were the Sho- shones and Crows; cast were the Ogallalas and other Sioux; southeast were the Cheyennes and south were the Utahs. While
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here they received the news that President Taylor had died. Leaving Fort Bridger on September 10, they resolved to find, if possible, a shorter route across the mountains than along the South Pass, through which they had come the year before. Having employed Bridger to act as their guide, they set out and a few days later were charged upon by a war party of Shoshones, who at first mistook them for a band of Utalis, whom they were seeking. They were armed with a few guns, bayonets used as spears, bows and arrows, etc., and were mounted on small, powerful horses. The whites passed along the valleys of Black and Green rivers, and thence up Bitter creek. This valley had been famous in for- mer times for the immense herds of buffalo which came here to winter, owing to the little snow which fell here and to the large tracts of rich grassland. On this account, it became a great resort for the trappers and traders and the scene of many a sharp contest for the furs of the Indians. At this time ( 1850) there was a scarcity of buffalo to be found here, but their rotting bones lay thick throughout the valley. Having passed up Bitter creek about seventy miles they turned more still to the east, and struck across to the valley of Muddy creek, reaching it about twenty-five miles from its mouth. As this was still the battle ground of sev- eral tribes, it was necessary to use great precaution to prevent being surprised by their war parties.
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